Internet Exchange Points

On the map below you can see an overview of internet exchange points (IXPs) around the world, zoom in and click on a city marker to see the internet exchange points available in the city.

All the internet exchange points from the map above are also listed in the table below, that you can sort by clicking on the headlines of the table. Further information about each IXP is available by clicking its name.

About Internet Exchanges

An internet exchange, often called IX or IXP for short, is a switching platform where internet carriers can exchange peering traffic with each other. Exchanging peering traffic over an internet exchange point rather than via direct peering, enables a carrier to interconnect with multiple networks via one uplink and thereby reduce the cost and complication of peering, enabling them to take on more peering relationships and perhaps even peer with other carriers even though the traffic volume is low.

Most of the large internet exchange points are commercial exchanges, where the participating carriers pay a fee to the IXP operator - typically depending on the port speed they are subscribing to. There are also "open" internet exchange points though, that do not require any payment or only require a symbolic fee.

Small internet exchanges are typically just one switch located in one data center, where the members can then connect to directly or through a meet me room, while the larger ixps consist of multiple switches located in different data centers that are connected to each other via direct fiber routes. This also gives members the benefit of being able to peer with members in other physical locations, without having to establish their own fiber connections between each other.

A lot of the internet exchanges publish member lists, location lists and statistics of their traffic volume on their website, enabling potential members to evaluate the ROI that connecting to the IXP might generate.

For more information about internet exchanges, please see Wikipedia. Other great resources when it comes to peering and exchange points are PeeringDB and DrPeering.